<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>"You can't just keep pretending it didn't happen." by mothdotjpeg</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26131951">"You can't just keep pretending it didn't happen."</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothdotjpeg/pseuds/mothdotjpeg'>mothdotjpeg</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hannibal (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(mention) - Freeform, Dark Will Graham, Gen, M/M, Murder, One Shot, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Slight Angst (?), discussions, idk what to tag this</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:35:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,080</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26131951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothdotjpeg/pseuds/mothdotjpeg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Weakness doesn't look good on you, Dr. Lecter." He reached his arm out to steady Hannibal, nodding his head towards the cabin where the cot was. "Dr. Lecter" held a weight to it. Sometimes it felt joking and humorous; most of the time, it revealed Will's emotions far too quickly.</p><p>[A tumblr prompt one-shot]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>"You can't just keep pretending it didn't happen."</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm uploading a few really short one-shots instead of writing my on-going stories so excuse that. I hope you enjoyed them before (my Hannibal tumblr is Twohornycannibals btw ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It's not exactly as though Will wanted to talk about it. Of course, he couldn't deny the part of him wanted too. Denial was ugly, rotten; it crawled under his skin. He had stopped denying himself things, at least he thought he did. It wasn't denial if he wasn't sure he wanted too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn't talk about it. But they thought about it whenever they're minds would wander away from the pain and suffocating chaos of this new life—Chiyoh’s boat, the ocean waves that make Will feel safe. As if, maybe, if he closed his eyes, he would be sailing to Europe, and he would find Hannibal as he had. Expect this time he would either run away or successfully die. He couldn't decide which, not when his mind was always snapped out of the daydream by Hannibal himself. The living, breathing, real Hannibal. However damaged and scruffy he looked compared to usual, he was there. Not in Europe, nor prison, but here on a boat off the coast of Cuba. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today, however, Will had denied himself the daydream before it started. The unspoken truth of their situation was turning to slug under his skin, and he itched it to go away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will?" He always spoke quietly, not wanting to bother Will. Hannibal knew he wasn't a bother, but he was hesitant. Knowing how much Will enjoyed the simplicity of the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah?" He turned to meet Hannibal's eyes, their gaze softened. How has he softened after all this? When all Will had done was grow tenser. "Everything okay?" His response was nodded, Will noticing the trembling in his legs as he stood on the deck. It wasn't sea legs, Hannibal would've adjusted easily if it weren't for the bullet wound and the blood loss. Will had peered at him contently when he had initially clutched the fresh wound; now, Will waited impatiently for him to heal. It made him feel uneasy to see Hannibal hurt. "Weakness doesn't look good on you, Dr. Lecter." He reached his arm out to steady Hannibal, nodding his head towards the cabin where the cot was. "Dr. Lecter" held a weight to it. Sometimes it felt joking and humorous; most of the time, it revealed Will's emotions far too quickly. Hannibal recognized when he was on-edge or closed off regardless, but it was a dead give away. "Fits you like an ill-fitting suit." Those shaking legs had tensed as he was led to the cot, placed gently down like a fragile family air-loom. Will looked him up and down as his body relaxed, still in obvious pain. His voice was humorous, salty, pained, caged-off. He didn't even bother to hide it. Deny himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If I am the doctor, why are you the one taking care of me?" Hannibal's eyes were heavy, making sure not to leave Will's, never wanting to miss an emotion in the younger man's eyes. Will rolled his eyes; body seemingly relaxed regardless of the tenseness of his voice. Aside from the scar on his cheek and the wind-tasseled hair - that smelled like the ocean when they laid next to each other at night - Will looked the same. As if nothing had changed. "Regardless, I haven't worn a well-tailored suit in many years, now have I, Will?" He responded to the silence, noting how different he looked. How un-Hannibal he was. Will sighed into the air, moving away from Hannibal as his eyes darted outside. He hated how tense this was, how much they denied by the silence. "Everything okay?" He mimicked Will's tone, and that made him laugh. Barely, just the rise and fall of his chest, a brief smile on his lips. It made Hannibal smile too, before returning to the seriousness of his question. Will guessed he shouldn't pretend anything, Hannibal could tell. He could always tell, regardless of how injured he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We never talk about it." Gaze still on the waves outside, feeling Hannibal's piercing eyes on his body. Admiring, worrying, whichever Will accepted happily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"About what?" Hannibal sounded serious, but Will huffed and looked back at Hannibal. Annoyed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Stop it." This stupid little game of silence, how much Hannibal must be enjoying it. Will groaned to himself as he realized how much Hannibal enjoyed watching him suffer. But he also enjoyed watching Will delight in it, so he didn't know why he didn't initiate the conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you want to talk about something, Will, please do. I am not going to stop you." It was honest, and Will couldn't help but cave a bit at his words. He was there, of course, he would wait for Will to broach the topic. But still, he wasn't a man to ignore things altogether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess I'm just surprised we haven't talked about what happened." He was hesitant, wanting Hannibal to say it first. Why? Maybe the confirm that it did happen. Not just a nightmare. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Take the lead,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he begged in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened?" Maroon tinted eyes peering at him, waiting for him to crack. Will leaned his head against the wall and squeezed his eyes closed, trying hard not to find the nearest knife and cut into this coy and annoying man. But they made it too-far for that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hannibal," Using his first name now, voice hinting on danger. That just made Hannibal raise an eyebrow. "You can't just keep pretending it didn't happen, cause guess what? It did!" Hannibal's gaze didn't change as Will's voice raised slightly, fist clenching.</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘How would you kill me?’ ‘With my bare hands.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tell me, with your own words. Explain to me what happened?" It almost felt like Hannibal was Dr. Lecter again, asking about his nightmares. But this had happened. This was real. Will's body tensed, his walls trying to close in, but he couldn't deny himself. Not now. Not after all this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We killed the dragon. You and me." There was something in Will's eyes as he said it. A memory, a craving, a yearning. His eyes begged for Hannibal to agree to acknowledge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That we did, Will." His eyes glittered back, watching Will with the most intense gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It felt good. Purely good." Because it had, it had filled Will's body with a feeling so unique. Nothing like the times before, but he hoped it was like all the times ahead. He wanted to feel that again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will you ever regret your actions that night, Will?" Hannibal's eyes questioned, and Will laughed, stepping closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Never."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>